Halflings
Animato Animato halflings typically hail from the Seacrest region, and are quite adept at sailing and the like. Amongst all of the races of Animato, the halflings are the least 'in tune' with nature, using their innately inneffable nature to bend the world to their needs ever so slightly, taming the ebb and flow of nature, to a reasonable thrum. Animato halflings recieve a +2 to their dexterity and intelligence scores, and a -2 to charisma scores; their isolation from the other races (aside from elves) has resulted in a rather aloof attitude; something the race is slowly learning to overcome, though with some difficulty, as they are generally the first target of the Mariton empire's raids. Typical traits for Animato's Seafarers are fearless, halfling luck, surefooted, and keen senses. Most Seafarers are proficient in the more 'seaworthy' weapons, favoring the cutlass, rapier, shortsword, hook, and crossbows of all kinds. Seafarers are the most likely to be Craven, or to focus on Low Blows. Shiftless, Swift as Shadows, and Wanderlust are also all good choices for a Seafarer Halfling. Espus Halflings are the most common race in all of Espus; for whatever reason, when the Grim hit, the race with the fewest wounds (or perhaps they were merely the most resilient) were the halflings. Esplings (try saying that five times fast!) keep the standard attribute package reserved for halflings. Nearly all Esplings have both Halfling Luck -and- Fearless. They're fairly likely to be Practical or even to be Polyglots. Esplings are the center of trade within Espus, manning the roads and ensuring that everything is delivered to the locations that need them. To each according to their needs, from each according to their abilities is practically the Espling motto. Wanderlust is not uncommon for Esplings, either, as they are master map-makers and readers. An Espling with Wanderlust may use Survival or Knowledge (geography) in place of scribe (scroll) when making maps. Haven Haven's halflings make their home at the edge of a great desert, upon a savannah (in most cases; there are some wandering halfling tribes within the desert itself) or within Haven proper. Halflings within Haven find themselves attuned to air, and due to a long history, have an animal magnetism found in no other halflings. The halfling city of Ventus (Ventlings) is known throughout the world for its wildlife, and perhaps more accurately, its uncanny ability to rear amazing animals. The halflings that make their way throughout the desert trade their weapon familiarities for more suitable weapons, vast swaths of land with open-ness as far as the eye can see results in halflings being adept with slings, bows, and crossbows, as well as javelins and shortspears. The desert nomads are likely to have both the fleet of foot and wanderlust traits. They also trade halfling luck for resist fire 5 and acclimitization to hot environs. Ventlings have the ability to speak with animals, as a gnome, once per day. So involved are halflings with their mounts and animal companions, that they often take outrider instead of surefooted, and even more interesting, they often trade their weapon proficiencies for the human trait 'Eye for Talent'. So capable are Ventlings as breeders, that any animal that becomes their companion is simply a cut above the rest of their species. Finally, those Halflings especially attuned to air find themselves capable of being Windsingers. Such halflings are treated as one level higher when casting spells with the air descriptor or using granted powers of the Air domain, air related bloodline powers, and the revelations of the oracle's wind mystery. This ability does not give them early access to level-based powers, replacing a halfling's fearlessness. Some Windsingers also find themselves to be Swift as Shadows, or adept Warslingers. Novator Novatori halflings, like gnomes, have found themselves more intune with the human way of life. Many halflings in Novator find themselves to be ingratiating, rather than surefooted. The halflings of Novator live in two primary ways; either in service to the Novatori populace, usually utilizing Practicality to fulfill this need and such halflings are often Craven; despite Novator's innovations, and willingness to adjust, most races wind up in the melting pot that is Novator. Cut off from their own ways of life, the rare halflings that don't join into a halfling community steadily lose themselves. They may trade weapon training for any racial feature a human could trade his feat feature for; this does not allow them to take any feat they desire. The other halfling 'native' to Novator is a far less depressing picture; a troupe known simply as 'Cirque' travels the gridlike cities, moving from land to land, putting on shows for the people, and getting by by combining trade and the income they garner as entertainment itself. There are always between two and four Cirque groups traveling about Novator (and on special occasion, into Haven), but they never compete. If two circuses come to the same town, the group with more members stays while the other moves on. This is not at all a sad time, as the wagons of the Cirques can easily be traded amongst groups, allowing old friends to spend greater time with one another, in this way, acts amongst the Cirque are very rarely the same twice. Cirques live like gypsies, a small community set up as a wagon circle near the center of Nova, and moving outwards from there, dotting the scenery with their lively attractions. Cirques often have a wide variety of skillsets, often improved by a natural knack; indeed, they may be capable riders, performers, balancers, leapers, animal trainers, speakers... the list goes on. Many also have more adaptable luck, allowing them to perform slightly better -just when they need to-, against the odds, rather than simply being more enduring like more common halflings. Category:Races